CITIZENSHIP IN HEAVEN

Today the 21st Dec, we are celebrating “The Feast of St. Thomas / Sabha Dinam”. Aren’t we thankful and
grateful to Thomas Didymus, a disciple of Christ – because of whom we are worshipping Lord Jesus here
in India?

Let us pray
Heavenly Father, as we gather here to worship you and remember the impact St. Thomas has made to
us here in India, I ask that you bless the listeners of this message, so that our lives will impact others to
follow you. In Jesus name – Amen.

St. Thomas, arrived in India in AD 52 on the shores of Kerala and was martyred in AD 72. He set up 7
churches in Kerala, baptized and converted many, including royals and died from spear wounds inflicted
by the “high and mighty people”

Today, I want to highlight some aspects of St. Thomas’ life.

1) – St. Thomas demonstrated extreme loyalty to Jesus.

Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, some people in Judea were plotting the Lord’s demise. It was
during this time that Jesus and the disciples received the news that their friend Lazarus was at the point
of death (John 11:1–3). Fearing for their lives, the disciples tried to talk Jesus out of returning to Lazarus’
hometown of Bethany, which was near Jerusalem where death threats certainly awaited them. Jesus
was set on going however, and Thomas spoke to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die
with him” (John 11:16). Thomas’s readiness to stay with Jesus despite the consequences is noteworthy.
Although his outlook may have been pessimistic and his words rather gloomy, Thomas demonstrated
extreme loyalty to Jesus, not deserting him.

2) – St. Thomas was honestly skeptic and inquisitive.

As we heard in today’s gospel reading, Jesus had warned the disciples of His imminent departure. Jesus
said “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going
there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you
to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John
14:2-4). The disciples were confused by Jesus’ mysterious language. Thomas’ honest skepticism and
inquisitive nature prompted him to be the first to ask, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so
how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

3) – St. Thomas’ doubt represents a genuine, truth-loving quest.

For many of us, seeing is believing. Thomas also struggled with doubts and questions. On the day of
Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to a group of His disciples in a closed room. Thomas was not present
therein. When the disciples later told Thomas they had seen the resurrected Lord, he replied, “Unless I
see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I
will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas was speaking honestly. Sincere faith does not prohibit sincere
investigation. (By the way, the other disciples also disbelieved Jesus’ resurrection. Remember when the
women came back from the empty tomb and after seeing the risen Christ and told the other disciples,
they did not believe.) Anyway, 8 days after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples met together again and this
time Thomas was present. Jesus appeared to them once more and invited Thomas to touch the wounds
and see for himself: “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). Jesus knew what Thomas needed to believe, and He provided
the evidence.

So, as senior citizens, how can St. Thomas’ life inspire us?

1) - St. Thomas was ready so loyal to Christ that he was ready to die for him. (John 11:16). We need to
self-introspect if we are loyal to Christ or do we switch loyalties to other things like money, family,
gluttony, power, status etc.?

2) - When Jesus said to his disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going”, only St. Thomas
was candid and said “no”. This led Jesus to reveal that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no
one comes to the Father except through him. Today in this digital age, we have so many people
preaching about God. Do we seek to check their words against God’s word – The Bible like St. Thomas,
or are we like the other disciples who simply accepted.

3) - St. Thomas was honest in seeking the Lord and letting Him know his doubts. We too should be
honest with God about our doubts and questions. God understands our struggles and is capable of
strengthening our faith. Like Thomas, we will be able to confess, “My Lord and my God!” in full
confidence of who Jesus is (John 20:28).

4) - St. Thomas is widely known as “doubting Thomas”. Man’s tendency is to highlight the negative
rather than focus on the positive. In all probability, St. Thomas was reminded of what Jesus warned
what would happen after His death, as we read in Mathew 24:23-25 “At that time if anyone says to you,
‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will
appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you
ahead of time.” St. Thomas therefore sought to see and touch the nail marks for himself – which the
Lord Jesus lovingly obliged. This caused St. Thomas to cry out “My Lord and my God” – the only time in
the Bible when Christ is thus addressed. Today, as we relate with one another, we should try not to look
with a negative viewpoint, rather we should see what is positive in every circumstance and make it work
for God’s greater glory.

As senior citizens, we may feel that we cannot do anything for God. Lets hear a story.

Bill a college student decides to go to a church across his campus one Sunday to see if religion made
sense. He walked into the church, with his uncombed hair, wearing a T-shirt and jeans with holes in it
and flip-flop chappals. The church however was a well-dressed, very conservative church. The service
had started and so Bill starts walking down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are really looking
uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and, when
he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the priest
realizes that from way at the back of the church, an elder is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the
elder is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and is wearing a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant,
very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and walks toward Bill. Everyone was expecting the
elder to pull up the boy and ask him to leave the church. They felt, one can't blame him for what he's
going to do.

It takes a long time for the elder to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of
the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. The priest stopped preaching waiting for the elder to do
what he was expected to do. This elderly man reaches Bill, catches his shoulder, then drops his cane on
the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he
won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the priest gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach,
you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be careful how you live. You
may be the only Bible some people will ever read." Needless to say, Bill accepted Christ and became a
regular in that church.

Dear fellow senior citizens, it’s our job to guide future generations to Christ as per Jesus’ last
commission to us. We must be able to spread the message of the cross through our words and deeds,
depending on wisdom from above, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, living
and guiding others not to set our minds on earthly things for our citizenship is in heaven, where Jesus
has gone to prepare a place to welcome the saved.

To recapitulate some characteristics of St. Thomas

1) – He demonstrated extreme loyalty to Jesus.
2) – He was honestly skeptic and inquisitive.
3) – His doubt represents a genuine, truth-loving quest.

Points to introspect
a) – Are we loyal to Christ in all our ways?
b) – Do we cross check statements with the word of God – The Bible?
c) – Are we honest with God about our doubts and questions?
d) – Do we look for the positive in every circumstance and make it work for God’s greater glory?